Sunflower Challenge

Activity content

Talk to children about the concept of growth, notion of seasons and relevance of springtime.

Discuss each resource that has been provided and how it may possibly be used

Allow children the opportunity to plant their own seeds, become familiar with gardening tools and materials

Discuss the differences between seeds and bulbs in terms of shape, size, weight and texture

Encourage children to think about where to position the plant pots and seed trays, which areas might be better than others to facilitate growth. Pots may be put in different positions to see if the sunflowers are affected by light and darkness etc

Talk about what they will need to do to ensure the seeds grow, how will they care for the flowers

Help children to think of ways in which they might label the different seeds and bulbs

As the flowers grow help children to measure the different flowers and record their findings

Help children to compare their findings by measuring other growing things like the children themselves

This activity may then be supplemented with a summer sunflower themed event and/or a grand measuring event. These events may provide opportunities for the activity to be revisited and used to enhance other areas of development.

Follow up activities

Encourage children to plant and care for different vegetation, herbs, vegetables and plants. Visit the local garden centre to discuss and choose the resources required.

Incorporate movement into dance and drama activities by encouraging children to think about how sunflowers grow, how they move and are affected by seasonal change.

Children may be given the opportunity to make their own plant pots, allowing them to test and experiment the different properties of various materials. What happens when we water seeds in a paper plant pot, a ceramic plant pot etc?

Make bird cake from sunflower seeds, discuss birds collecting seeds from flowers and the cycle of life.

Study mini-beasts to see how creatures move.

Make indoor or outdoor role play areas into a garden centre. Resources may include any number of the following: counter and ‘talls, green matting, plant pots of various sizes, colour, shapes and material, till, money, baskets, trolleys, flowers – plastic, child made and fresh (used appropriately), various packets of seeds (supplemented with non-toxic materials), posters of plants, flowers, trees, leaves etc, gardening magazines and books, mark-making materials for shopping lists, making receipts, price lists and price tags etc, times of opening hours, open/closed sign, grow boxes, aprons, Wellington boots, sunhats, gardening gloves, watering cans, tools, plans and designs of gardens.

Select a number of bulbs and seeds to be used as stimuli to get children to think about what kind of flowers they may grow into, supply various creative and mark making materials for them to record their thoughts.

Create a large sunflower on tarmac area (or equivalent), use the petal and leaf space to add numbers/letters to be used in ball games etc.

Support children’s creative development by using the seeds and bulbs to make various percussions instruments etc.


	Copyright 2004 Wateraid. Charity regristration no. 288701